Weather stbip



Jan. 8, 1935- c. E. McCORMlCK I WEATHER STRIP Original Filed Jul xe 5,1931 II I INVEINTORZ CA1 (he 5?. I11 Coisui Q3 Reissued Jan. s, 1935'.UNITED- STATES Wns'rmm s'rm Charles 1:. McCormick, Royal Oak, men.

Original No. 1309.100, mes Fe Serial No. 541,822, June a, 19:1. forreissue October 275, 1933, Serial brnary 28,1933,

Application No. 695,193

6 Claims. (oi. 290-44) This invention relates to a weather strip andmore particularly to a device of this character especially adapted foruse upon motor vehicle bodies and the like and more particularly inconnection with the door and other openings thereof.

An object of the invention is to facilitate the application ofthe stripto the framing of the body or structure carrying the door or otherclosure, and to provide a strip having resilient' stiffening meanstherein forming a transversely curvedresilientfree edgeportiontospanthecrack or opening between the framing-andclosureandarrangedtobefiexedlaterallybythe closing of the closure. Afurther object is to provide a weather strip construction wherein thestrip is free to bend laterally in applying the same'to a curved openingfor a closure, and is formed with hook-like members. along one edge toengage overa member ofthe framing to hold the stripjn place without thenecessity for nailing or other rigid securing means, and whereby saidstrip may be rapidly and accurately applied,

With the above and other ends in view, the invention consists inproviding the strip with a continuous, resilient reinforcing wire bentinto tortuous shape to provide a plurality of resilient finger portionsto reinforce an edge portion of the strip and with projecting hookmembers along the opposite edge of the strip, said wire reinforcementbeing enclosed by or embedded in the flexible material forming saidstrip, whereby said finger portions hold a projecting edge portion ofthe strip in form to be engaged by the closure and yieldingly force saidedge into contact with said closm-e, and said projecting hook membersare adapted to engage over a member of the framing surrounding. theclosure opening therein and hold said strip in proper relation to saidclosure without-the necessity for permanent securing means. and so thatsaid strip may be-applied. by simply sliding said hook members alongsaid framing member, said strip with its wire reinforcement. bendingfreely in a lateral direction along curved portions of the opening withsaid hook guiding and holding the strip. j

The invention further consists in the matters hereinafter set forth andmore particularly pointed'out in the appended claims, referencebeinghadtothedrawinginwhich The figure thereof is ,a sectionalperspective .view of a closure andthe framing surrounding said closurewith a weather strip embodying the present invention applied to saidframing and in operative relation to. the closure.

As illustrativeof'an application of the present invention, the was stripembodying said invention is shownas applied to the framing of anautomobile body formed of sheet metal and showing a portion thereofadjacent a door opening in the body for a door but it will be understoodthat the same may be applied to other structures for closing the openingor crack between thev framing surrounding an opening and a swinging orotherwise movable closure of any suitable construction for closing :0

said opening.

As shown,-l indicates thesheet ofmetal forming the outer side oftheautomobile body wall,

and 2 the sheet forming the inner side thereof,

the edge portions of these sheets being bent to- 15 ward each other andoverlapped at the edges of door.or other opening in the body to providea framing wall 3 for said opening, and where, as shown, the door closurefor this opening is also .formed of sheet metal and comprises an outer:0

sheet 4 and an inner sheet 5, with an edge portion of the inner sheetbent outwardly to meet the outer sheet and form-an end wall 6 and thenturned laterally as at '1 to engage within an internal edge 8 of theouter with a door flange 9, an inset or groove 10 is provided in thebody framing. to receive said door flange Preferablythewali 2 of theframing 3 for the door ly, forming a groove or channel 11 and theinturned edge portion of the wall 1 which overlaps the outturned edgeportion of the wall 2. to form the framing wall 3 for the door opening,is extended part way across one end of said channel 11 and then beatlaterally to form a flange 12 extending into andpart'way across saidchannel. As such automobilebodies are usually constructed, an innersheathing 13 of fibrous maalso formed of sheet metal, s

opening is oifset outward l0 wallandformthereasterialissecuredtothewail2andpmvidedwith do a fabric covering l4, theedge portion of such sheathing overlapping and nearly closing the inneropen side of the channel 11 with the edge 7 of said fabric carriedaround the projecting edge of said sheathing and secured thereto. A sub-'46 stantially "closed channel 11 is thus formed inthe framing of thedoor opening and is continuous along'those edges of said opening towhich it -is desirable to apply a weather strip for making a tight "ointbetween this framing and the edge to or edges of thedoor at the innerside of the door.

The upper corner or corners of such automobile body door are oftencurved-instead of being square and where such doorsare used, the frameing ofthe door opening iscorrespondingly curved, 66

such sheathing which is secured to the inner side of the door wall 5with said edge substantially even with the end wall 6 of said door. D

The present weather strip, which is particularly adapted for use uponautomobile bodies. constructed as above described but may be made ap-.

plicable to other constructions, comprises a body strip 1'7 formed inany suitable manner, of rubher or other suitable flexible material andof a length to extend along the entire length of the framing of the doorto which it is who applied. This body is formed with a laterallyextending securing flange 18 and an oppositely extending projectingflexible edge portion 19 to extend across the crack oropening betweenthe door edgeand the framing .of the door opening, said flexible edgeportion being curved in the direction'of its width so that it will yieldreadily when the door comes into contact with the free edge thereof,which edge is rounded and thickened to form acontact head 20 to engagethe inside of the door. The-strip is adapted to be secured to the flange18 by means hereinafter described, the body 17 of said strip whichconnects said flange 18 and flexible edge portion 19, being thickened togive added strength with its inner side forming a continuation of theouter surface of the wall 3 of the framing of the door opening. Theopposite side of this body portion is formed to engage over the edge ofthe sheathing 13 and rest thereon when the strip is flexed by theclosing of the door against the contact head 20 on the edge of theprojecting flexible edge portion 19 of the strip.

As shown,- the exposed surface of the weather strip will usually becovered by a fabric strip 26 mainly for appearance sake, one edge ofsuch fabric strip being carried around the head 20 and the opposite edgeinto the curved side of the body 17 beneath the projecting edge of thebody sheathing 13, and this fabric cemented or otherwise secured flatupon the surface of the head 20, edge-portion 19 rnd body 1'7 to whichit is applied. In so applying this fabric, the head 20 provides arounded edge to facilitate the application of .the fabric and prevent itfrom To' reinforce the weather strip, and provide attaching meanstherefor and add resistance to flexureof the flexible edge portion 19thereof, a

wire isbent into-a series of loops and this wire is embedded intherubber-- strip when said strip is molded or otherwise formed, with oneseries of spring loops 21 extended into edge portion 19of the strip andcurved toconform substantially to the lateral curvature ofsaidcdgeportiomandaserlesof oppositelyextending loops 22 with-one run ofeach loop embedded in the flange12 and the othm' nm 23 ex-' tendingsubstantially parallel with said flange andspaced therefrom to engageover the metal flange 18 with the runs 23 preferably yieldingly thewinner side surface of saidflange and extending intotbe channel Il -ofthe'framing of'the'dooropening, to attach theweatherstrip,

thereto, theinner end of each'rlm 23 being bent laterally andformedintoloops 24toconnect with alikenmbelqw, these loopsMbeingofalmgth to engagethe end wall of the channel 11 and hold the-body of the weather stripaccurately .and securely in place.

The spring fingers or loops 21 being curved laterally of the edgeportion 19 of the strip with wire which connect the loops 21 and' 22,are embedded in that portion 17 of the body which connects thesecuringflange 18 with flexible edge portion 19 and lend strength to the strip.

Weather strips formed'entirely of rubber or of fabric covered rubber,soon become hard and disintegrated, and it is diflicult to secure themevenly and securely in proper relation to the door to form a tight jointwhich will remain tight after extended use. By providing the strip witha large number of attaching loops 24 to engage over the metal flange 12of the framing, the strip may be attached by simply engaging some .orall of these loops over the flange and the attach- --ing'operatio'n maybe facilitated by moving the strip endwise of the flange, bringing thesucceeding loops into position to embrace said flange, the loops slidingonto said flange and along the same. If the framing is curved at acorner of the door opening, said flange 12 is also curved, and the stripbeing flexible, will follow this curve and pass around the corner.Application of the weather strip tothe framing is thus greatlyfacilitated as no nailing or separate fastening means is required andthe loops 24 engaging the end wall of the framing channel 11, accurately,position the strip relative to said wall and the door, insuringevenness and proper positioning,

Obviously this weather strip may be applied to other than sheet metalstructures, and may be used in connection withsliding as well asswingparticular construction and arrangement of the weather strip itselfwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

.Iclaim: F

1. Aweather strip comprising a relatively thick body portion formed offlexible material and with an attaching flange integral therewith andextending laterally therefrom adjacent the inner edge thereof and anintegral 'yieldabie edge p rtion extending laterally-fromsaid bodyadjacent theouterendedgeofsaidbodyandinadirection opposite tbs-tin whichsaid flange extends, said body extending, in cross-section of saidstrip, at subaanfially rightangles to'said flange and edge portion,whereby said-edge portion is oifset outwardly from the plane of saidflange.

2. a weather strip epmprising abody portion formed of flexible materialandhaving an attaching flange integral therewith and extending laterallytherefrom adjacent the inner edge thereof to seat. upon a structure-towhich the strip is to be attached, and a 'yieldable edge portionextending laterally'from theside of said bodyoppositettntprovidedwithsaidflangeandintegml with said body-adjacent theouter edgeof said body, said body being formed withalongitudinalgrooveinits'sirboutwardl'y of andadjacentmldflangetoreceivetheedgeof'sheathingtobe appli d to said struchire.

3.-A weather strip anattaching "flange adapted to seat upon a member towhich sald'strlp is to be attached, a flexible body integral with saidflange along the inner edge of said body and extendingoutwardly-therefrom, a transversely curved flexible closure engagingedge portion extending laterally from said body and integral with theouter portion of said body and lying in a plane oflfset outwardly bysaid body from the plane of the width of said flange, said body forminga relative thick portion connecting said flange and edg portion andextending at substantially right angles to the planes of the width ofsaid flange and edge portion, and a reinforclng wire formed with loopsembedded in said edge portion and loops embedded in said flange withportions connecting said loops and embedded in said body portion.

4. In an automobile body having metal framing Iorming an outer jamb faceand carrying a flanged member in rear of said face, and a trim panelmounted on the body, a molding strip comprising metallic means adaptedto releasably hook over said member in rear of said jamb face forattaching the strip in position and also comprising a rubber stripprovided with a body portion having a longitudinal channel at onelateral side to confine the edge of the trim panel and a longitudinalyieldable edge portion projecting from its opposite lateral side.

5. A molding or finishing strip for a vehicle body having a trim panel,comprising as a unit an integrally formed flexible rubber member andmetallic means for attaching the strip to the body, said strip extendingalong and abutting the free edge of the panel and provided at onelateral side with a channel formed in. part by said integral rubbermember and adapted to receive said' edge, said rubber member having ayieldable free edge portion projecting laterally from the opposite sidethereof.

6. A combined molding and weather strip for the framing of an opening ina vehicle body provided with a closure for the opening, comprising abase of resilient material laterally flanged 'for releasable attachmentalong the edge of said framing, said base having an integral flexibleflange projecting into the opening and adapted to overlie the closureand also having a projecting edge portion at its side remote therefromto overlie the edge of a trim panel.

CHARLES E. McCORMICK.

